A Stolen Gift
by Trishata96
Summary: When Kaidan was 19, he went to New York with his parents to visit family. During it he was mugged and something stolen off him. 13 years later he mentions it in the mess. Unbeknown to him, Shepard knows exactly who mugged him. Fluff and Shenko.


**A Stolen Gift**

**Must… focus… On OTAM… Must Not… Write Mass Effect Fic… Ahh… Screw It! I'm a weak woman.**

"Come on Shepard. Answer the question." Said Ashley, nudging Shepard in the arm as she cringed into her hands.

"No. I am not answering that." Muttered Shepard indignantly, going red as the rest of the crew tried to not howl with laughter.

"Well if you don't want to do that then you're going to have put a whoopee cushion on Joker's seat. So chose. Prank on Joker or… you tell us all your teddy bear's name. And don't deny it, I saw it in your quarters." Shepard's head hit the table with a thunk as she groaned.

"He's a childhood memento. The only one I have. It's not as if I take him to bed with me." That comment made Kaidan let loose a laugh as he conjured up the image in his mind. The first human Spectre, Hero of Elysium and Commander in the N7, the most feared woman in the universe, still going to bed with a thread bare teddy.

"I'd so pay to see that." He said, earning a glare off his commander and a raised eyebrow from Ashley. Mentally Kaidan kicked himself, he'd put his foot in his mouth yet again. He had to try and not flirt with his superiors.

"I hate you all." Hissed Shepard. " There is no way I am pulling a prank on Joker. Next time I'm in a Volcano about to erupt, he'll leave me there."

"With all due respect, Commander. Answer the question." Said Ashley, gleefully, as she leaned forward. In the Mess, himself, Shepard, Ashley, Liara, Tali, Garrus and Dr. Chakwas were sat. The majority trying not to burst out laughing, if they did then no doubt they'd end up being chucked out the airlock. After a long inner-war, Shepard muttered a word, but nobody heard her.

"What was that?"

"I said Zinky." Muttered Shepard a bit more louder. Immediately they all broke and began howling with laughter. Ashley banged her fist on the table as she cried with laughter. Tali fell off her seat so all you could see was her legs failing in the air as the Quarian laughed. Meanwhile Garrus chuckled then leaned over and gave Shepard a comforting hug as the commander muttered on about how she hated them all and was going to feed them to the Thresher maws.

"At least it wasn't something worse, Arty, like Boo-boo." Kaidan noted Ashley seemed to cringe at the name Boo-boo. Eventually everyone calmed, but were still red-faced and breathless. Shepard still had her head buried into the table from shame.

"Okay what about we give the commander a chance for revenge? Let's be fair." He said to Ashley. The Gunnery Chief shrugged.

"Sure. Hey Shepard. You can ask me, I pick truth." Immediately Shepard's head snapped up, an evil glint in her lilac eyes.

"What's the name of your pink bunny-rabbit? The one you keep in your memento box." Asked Shepard, ever so sweetly in an tone that universally meant, _I'm crazy and I'm going to kill you._ Ashley spluttered on her drink and blanched. Everyone looked at Ashley, jaws wide open.

"Aww… Shit. I walked into that one. Ermm… I'll forfeit for a dare." She squirmed in her seat as Shepard's grin widened, Infact Kaidan could just imagine fanged points to her incisors.

"Kiss Garrus." The Turian did a double take while Ashley groaned. Then over the intercom Joker joined in:

"Aw, Man! I have to see this! Wait until I get down there!"

"No! God No! I am doing neither." She gestured wildly with her hands.

"Oh no. You are not getting out of this Gunnery Chief. Remember what you said a few days ago?" Shepard was now sitting straight and Ashley groaning into the table. Oh how the tables had turned.

"You said. _No Problem Ma'am. Tell me to jump. I'll ask how high. Tell me to kiss a Turian. I'll ask which cheek._ So chose, and be glad I'm not telling you to kiss Wrex." Ashley sighed and stood up. Going over to where Garrus sat, she stooped down. Then a yell from Joker came from the stairs.

"Hang on! Wait till I'm down! It's the end of my shift anyway." Joker hobbled into the mess on his crutches and Liara politely gave up her seat for him. The look on his face could be described using this phrase, _The face of a man who jumped out of a plane with no parachute and landed right in the pool of the playboy mansion, while the ladies were swimming in it._ Ashley rolled her eyes and quickly gave Garrus a peck on the cheek, which was met by a round of cheers, giggles and a wolf whistle off Joker. Ashley was now beetroot red as she sat down, fixing Shepard with an evil glare.

"I hate you."

"I hate you…" Said Shepard, raising an eyebrow. Ashley sighed.

"I hate you, Ma'am." This only added fuel to the giggles around the table as Shepard had clearly owned Ashley. Though Kaidan stopped laughing when Shepard spoke again:

"So, what should I do to you Lieutenant?"

"What? What did I do to deserve this?" Kaidan looked around wildly, partially worried by the grin on Shepard's face and mostly scared by it.

"Oh you know why. That comment earlier. Any ideas, anyone?" Ashley immediately put her hand up along with Tali.

"You first Ash."

"He can kiss Wrex. Not on the cheek, on the mouth!" Ashley cackled. Joker laughed and reached over to give her a high five. Shepard made an approving sound and did a _maybe_ face.

"We could stop playing this game before it gets taken too far?" Suggested Tali.

"Too late, Tali, well too late." Mumbled Kaidan, to his surprise Shepard muttered her agreement.

"Yeah, let's stop it here for tonight." Silently Kaidan offered his thanks up to God as Ashley pulled a face.

"Fine. We'll stop it here. Hey what about L-T tells us a story, instead? Preferably an embarrassing one."

"Okay, I'll tell you all a bedtime story." Said Kaidan in a sarcastic voice. He began scouring his mind for stories. He wasn't going to go on about his days in BAat or boot camp. Then one popped up in his head.

"I've got one. It was when me and my parents went to visit our cousins in New York…"

_2170... 13 years ago_

_I think I was nineteen at the time, two years after BAat closed. I was doing an errand for my parents, getting my mother's necklace repaired. It was a wedding present and was somewhat banged up. I managed to find the jewellery shop easily enough, on the way back though that's when things went to hell. I'd gone off the main streets as one of my migraines was coming on. Yes Ashley I know stupid mistake and it was the first of a few. I walked past an alley way when I heard a girl screaming for help… Yes, chief I ran to the rescue._

_In an alley with a heck of a lot of rubbish some blokes around my age then was towering over this little girl. She had to have been about fourteen, fifteen, but she was curled up in a ball crying her eyes out. I was about to yell at them when I saw one of the thugs pull out an knife… ASHLEY, stop interrupting and never call me Captain Biotic ever again! I sort of panicked and flung the guy back using my biotics. The others scampered like cards to the wind… Ash… Thank you Garrus, please keep your hand over her mouth. Where was I? Right as I was saying the thugs had ran off , so I went to check the girl, make sure she was okay. From what I could tell by the looks of her, she must have been living on the streets a long time. I knelt beside her, then I noticed the thugs coming back, looking smug for some reason. I was so distracted that I didn't notice the girl pull out a club and whack me over the head._

_When I woke up, I was in the hospital but okay. Turns out I had fallen prey to a usual trick the gangs used, they'd pretend to attack one of their female members then jump the 'saviour'. My parents weren't mad at me, they understood I had been doing the right thing, even though the gang had stolen all my money and my mother's necklace. _

Kaidan finished speaking and gestured for Garrus to let Ashley speak.

"Sooo, you got beaten up by a girl five years younger than you. Aww… poor little Capt…" Kaidan narrowed his eyes and Ashley hurriedly reconsidered her choice of words. " I mean L-T. Poor little L-T. That is a little embarrassing getting mugged, but you weren't really a streetwise kid back then."

"A wise tactic to use though for street gangs. Ever find out which gang?" Mused Garrus, looking very intrigued.

"Nah. Though I think one of the thugs referred to another by the name of Hunter before I passed out. Never found my mum's necklace. Just a whole load of life lessons." Kaidan glanced to Shepard who suddenly looked very distant, as if in thought.

"What did your mum's necklace look that, Kaidan? It must have been beautiful once if your mom wanted it fixed up." Asked Joker, accepting a glass of beer off Dr Chakwas.

"It was silver. The pendant was in the shape of Frangipani flower head with this yellow sapphire in the very middle. It was beautiful, I still kick myself over losing it." Shepard's eyes went wide at his description and got up.

" 'Scuse me. The beers going to my head, I get hangovers way too easily. I'll see you all in the morning." Shepard headed to her quarters.

"See you later, pass my regards to Zinky." Jested Ashley. Shepard threw a comeback over her shoulder.

"Say hello to Boo-boo the bunny wabbit for me too." Ashley let out a scream of anger as everyone laughed at her misfortune.

"All right who's up for a game of I Never. Here let's teach Liara, Tali and Garrus." Yelled Joker over the commotion. Over time everyone except Kaidan and Dr Chakwas went to their pods for rest, some staggering more than Joker. Soon Kaidan fell asleep at the table, suddenly exhausted.

Some time later he was awoken by somebody prodding his head. Bleary eyed he looked up to see Shepard sitting across from him. He quickly yawned and rubbed his eyes.

"Commander? What time is it?" Shepard fidgeted with her hands underneath the table, he'd never seen her so nervous.

"Just after midnight, Kaidan." She was also avoiding his eyes, which was a shame. He liked looking into those lilac eyes and admiring the ebony black hair… yet again he mentally kicked himself. Fraternising wasn't allowed, it was against the regs.

"You okay, Shepard? You look a little uneasy." Shepard took a deep breath and brought her hands up from underneath the table. She held a small wooden box and placed it in front of Kaidan.

"I believe this belongs to you."

Confused, Kaidan opened it and his jaw promptly dropped. It was his mother's necklace. How could have Shepard got hold of it?

"It's my mum's. But how?" He flipped the pendant over and examined the writing on the back. _To my dear Louise for our wedding, love Lee._ It was 100% the necklace he'd lost thirteen years ago."

"I was raised up on the streets of New York. Got involved in a gang, the Tenth Street Reds, I left when I joined the military at eighteen."

"So what. Were you meant to fence it or did you buy it?" Shepard shuffled in her seat, a blush spreading across her mud brown cheeks… Then Kaidan realised something. Shepard's first name was Artemis, and Artemis was a Goddess of the hunt. Hunt, Hunter. Shepard had also been around fifteen when he was mugged…

"Oh… you mean you were the one who stole it." He said. Arty was now very focused on the table. " Well. It's one hell of a small universe."

"You're… not angry with me?" Asked Arty, looking slightly confused. Kaidan laughed.

"Of course not. That was a different you. Plus I don't think it'd be wise to attempt to arrest my superior officer. At least you returned it. Why have you still got it?"

"The other didn't notice it and I was a bit of a magpie back then, I still do. Old habits die hard." She explained with a nervous laugh. That was one thing he and Ashley had noticed about Shepard, she was always drawn to shiny stuff. Who would have known Shepard, deep down, was a Klepto?

"I noticed. Well, this is going to be an interesting story to regale my parents with."

"What something like: _Hey mum and Dad. You remember when I got mugged? Turns out it was my commanding officer. You know the first Human Spectre? Well she gave the necklace back. _I'd pay to see the look on their faces." Kaidan agreed, his parents would be astounded by it and maybe a little concerned though his father would have a good laugh about it.

"Shepard, how on earth did you end up on the streets? Ran away?" Shepard's eyes softened a little bit.

"Sort of. I can't remember my parents. Earliest memory was in an orphanage, I was Ten when I ran away. The woman running it, used us like slaves, make us work in a secret sweatshop. I picked up the skills of pretty crime really easily. When I joined, it was mainly pretty theft. Though shortly after we mugged you, things changed, got out of hand…" She cleared her throat, looking upset at old memories. "When I was nearly Seventeen, Finch ,our leader, tried to boost a freighter carrying Element Zero, told us all that it was a cover company for drugs. One of the containers exploded and that was my second exposure to Element Zero and how my biotics developed. Athena wasn't so lucky. I rushed her to hospital, but… she didn't make it. After that Finch began making car bombs and using them against Aliens. I… didn't want anything to do with Terrorism, so I joined the military." Kaidan reached over and gently touched her hand and looked her straight in the eye.

"I'm sorry, Arty. At least you got out while you could, in fact I'm glad you did." He gave her a reassuring smile. She smiled back.

"Thank you Kaidan, we both ought to get some rest. Udina wants to see us first thing as soon as we arrive at the citadel." They both bid each other goodnight, and Arty headed to her quarters while Kaidan went to his sleeping pod as he let sleep come he thought to himself.

Maybe it is worth breaking the rules for her.

**Well, there's my first Mass Effect fanfic. Reviews are welcome, sorry to my OTAM readers. I just had to write this.**

**Trishata96**


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